Features and short-format films celebrating a diverse range of filmmaking talent from South America are being showcased in Open Doors Screenings.
98 Seconds Without Shadow 2021 (Bol)
Dir. Juan Pablo Richter
Juan Pablo Richter’s second feature is a thriller set in 1980s Bolivia and based on Giovanna Rivero’s novel of the same name. 98 Seconds Without Shadow (98 Segundos Sin Sombra) follows a 16-year-old girl trying to survive the strict nuns at school, hostile classmates, hopeless parents and men with guns — but everything changes when she meets her mother’s spiritual leader. Richter made his debut in 2018 with feature The River (El Río).
Prod. Pucara Films
International sales: Habanero Film Sales
Contact: Juan Pablo Richter
Autoerótica 2021 (Peru)
Dir. Andrea Fernanda Hoyos Valderrama
This debut feature about sexual and reproductive rights in Peru is the story of Bruna, a teenager who joins a dating website to explore her sexual identity. Autoerótica probes the narratives about what it means to inhabit certain bodies, marked by sex and gender. The film secured funding from Peru’s Ministry of Culture, and Valderrama went on to be selected for the Berlinale Talents programme at the German festival earlier this year.
Prod. Piedra Alada Producciones
Contact: Andrea Hoyos Valderrama
Boreal 2022 (Para-Mex)
Dir. Federico Adorno
Showcased at project stage as a work in progress at San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2020, Adorno’s Boreal arrives at Open Doors after playing the festival circuit, including at Festival Internacional De Cine Unam (FICUNAM) in Mexico and Chicago Latino Film Festival in the US. The film also won prizes at festivals in Brazil, Seattle, Colombia and Chile. Boreal is set in a conservative Mennonite community in Bolivia and details the story of Benjamin, who is finding it hard to adapt to his fencing job and starts behaving erratically as he awaits the return of the community leader. When the leader appears, Benjamin learns he must work for longer than he expected, and his anger and frustration grow.
Prod. Grupo Perdomo, Cine Murcielago
Contact: Federico Adorno
Me And The Beasts 2021 (Ven)
Dir. Nico Manzano
Me And The Beasts (Yo Y Las Bestias) marks Manzano’s debut feature and tells the story of the singer-guitarist in an alternative rock band as he embarks on a solo career, seeking inspiration in the face of Venezuela’s social and economic crises. He is helped by two mysterious masked beings called The Beasts. At project stage, the film won three of the six prizes available at Ventana Sur’s Primer Corte 2020 in Argentina and had its world premiere in Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s Rebels with a Cause section in 2021.
Prod. Linterna Studio
Contact: Nico Manzano
Once Upon A Time In Venezuela 2020 (Ven-UK-Austria-Bra)
Dir. Anabel Rodriguez Rios
This feature-length documentary portrays the once thriving and prosperous village of Congo Mirador, alive with fishermen and poets. The village now finds itself decaying and disintegrating, presented by the filmmakers as a small but prophetic reflection of Venezuela itself. Once Upon A Time In Venezuela (Érase Una Vez En Venezuela) has enjoyed a strong festival run, including in Sundance 2020’s world cinema documentary section.
Prod. Sancocho Publico
International sales: Rise and Shine
Contact: Anabel Rodriguez
The Preacher 2021 (Ecu-Col-Sp)
Dir. Tito Jara H
Marking a second feature for Tito Jara H, The Preacher (El Rezador) details the story of a swindler who discovers a girl known for being “miraculous” when it comes to generating revenue from a con. Together with her parents, the fraudster hatches plans to boost their ill-gotten gains but things get out of hand when it becomes too lucrative. The filmmaker’s first feature was 2011 comedy drama Behind You (A Tus Espaldas), which became one of the most viewed in Ecuadorian history and hit screens across 30 international territories in the region.
Prod. Atefilms
International sales: Media Luna New Films
Contact: Tito Jara H
The Shape Of Things To Come 2021 (Peru-Ger-Sp-Mex-Ecu)
Dir. Victor Checa
Checa’s debut feature film premiered at Tallin Black Nights Film Festival in 2021 and has gone on to screen widely at festivals including in Malaga, Guadalajara, Los Angeles and Neuchatel. The Shape Of Things To Come (Tiempos Futuros) tells the tale of a boy whose father is an inventor dedicated to creating a machine that generates rainfall in a parched city. Lured by a desire for independence, the boy joins a gang of criminals and brings turmoil to the relationship with his father. The film has won prizes including a jury special mention at Beijing International Film Festival 2022, where it played in the Forward Future section. Checa’s second feature Last Of Kings (El Ultimo Rey) has been selected this year for Open Doors’ Projects Hub.
Prod. Pierrot Films
Contact: Victor Checa
Short-film selection
Angelo 2022 (Bol)
Dir. Alex Plumb
The Distance Of Time (La Distancia Del Tiempo) 2021 (Peru)
Dir. Carlos Ormeño Palma
Eating Papaw On The Seashore 2022 (Guy)
Dirs. Rae Wiltshire, Nickose Layne
Hidden World 2018 (Suri-Neth)
Dir. Kenrich Cairo
Plástico 2022 (Ven)
Dir. Vero Kompalic
The Red Spiral (La Espiral Roja) 2021 (Ven-Ger)
Dir. Lorena Colmenares
Rimana Wasi: Home Of Stories (Rimana Wasi: Hogar De Historias) 2022 (Peru)
Dirs. Ximena Málaga Sabogal, Piotr Turlej
Volivia 2014 (Bol)
Dir. Leandro Grillo
What Do You See? (Veo, Veo) 2019 (Para)
Dir. Tania Cattebeke Laconich
Willkawiwa — The Sacred Fire Of The Dead (Willkawiwa — El sagrado Fuego De Los Muertos) 2022 (Ecua-Costa)
Dir. Pavel Quevedo Ullauri
You Can Read, Can’t You? (Je Kan Toch Lezen) 2018 (Suri-Neth)
Dir. Ananta Khemradj
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